Tag Archives: entrepreneurs

Katt Stearns Shares Her 3 SECRETS to SUCCESS!

My goal with POD Sisters is to share stories, inspirational lessons, life affirmations, advice on balancing family, friends and business. So many women manage it all so well, and they have valuable information which can help and motivate others. The sisterhood we all belong to is incredibly powerful, truthful, honest and supportive.

I want to celebrate different women, and the myriad of roles, jobs, dreams, life paths and journeys.

Ep. 4 Katt Stearns: Social Media Strategist

Katt Stearns of Katt Stearns Consulting shares her secrets to success

On EPISODE 4, I chat with Katt Stearns, owner of Katt Stearns Consulting and one of the team behind We Make Stuff Happen.

Katt was nominated for the BC Small Business Emerging Entrepreneur in 2014, and winner of the Digital Marketer of the Year in 2015. She held positions in corporate and government, and left those worlds behind to pursue her dream of owning her own business.

Katt shares how she started out in the music business, learning as she went. She has some fantastic advice for any business person or entrepreneur, and lets us in on her 3 SECRETS TO SUCCESS!

Social media marketing can be a powerful tool to help any business grow their sales, increase brand exposure and build relationships with customers. What many businesses don’t realize is that just opening up a Facebook account and posting random links on your page once a week won’t help your business grow. Social media should be incorporated into your other marketing strategies, customer relations, PR and day-to-day operations. So to help you get started we’ve provided you with some helpful resources.

Stay tuned until the end of the podcast, and please subscribe on iTunes so you can get news of the latest episodes. Feel free to comment, contact me or FOLLOW ME and KATT on Facebook.

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When visitors land on your website or Facebook page, would they get the sense that there is a living, breathing person running things? Is your website bland or lacking in personality? Would your potential customers connect with your blog and social media content?

Breathe LIFE back into your online presence…Perform CPR (Content Powered Rejuvenation) and bring your social media back from the dead.

Welcoming Websites

Think about your website as your store or home . . . you want people to feel welcome and spend time there . . .You want them to leave comments, ask questions, go on a bit of a journey, visit other areas of your store.

Take a critical look at your website and the content. IS it relevant? Does it provide solutions and answer questions your potential clients might have? If you don’t ADORE your own site and enjoy scrolling through it and rereading posts . . . then no one else will either!

Sociable Media

Do your posts reflect who you are, what your values are, and what you do? Is the content entertaining? You need to draw people in, attract followers and make people feel welcome and let them know you are there to solve problems for them and share your insights.

HOW do you do this? Yep, it’s a skill, but you can learn! I’m all about teaching and empowering others to do their own social media, but I do manage platforms and ghost write blogs for businesses if time is an issue.

FACT: Over 75% of people on the internet are using social media, and many turn to their favourite platforms to investigate a business. If they check out your website, is it doing a good job representing you and your products and services?

AND most importantly: Does your web presence answer the following questions RIGHT AWAY?

Are you OPEN? . . . Surprising how many businesses do NOT post their hours or have recent info to show they are active and still in business.

WHERE are you?…Are you brick and mortar, or online only?

WHY should I TRUST you? Are you coming off as amateur, or professional. BE the expert.

If you treat yourself like a star team member, you will not ignore your basic rights to breaks, a hot lunch once in a while and conversations with other human beings. You also need to schedule time to learn new things and grow your network, and focus on your business marketing.

PLUS you need to get out once in a while, otherwise your social skills will wither away and you will convince yourself that wearing the same pajamas and not showering for four days qualifies you as a “green” business.

Launching a Business

After completing my education in editing, and trying to start my own business, I found it very hard to get up the courage to seek out others with similar goals and interests. It took quite a while to gather a group of supportive associates to share the work with and celebrate the successes.

Meet new mentors!

I had to force myself to get out of the yoga pants and actually attend groups and meetings with other business owners and find events that were of benefit to me and my business. It takes time…no doubt about it. But you have to do it! There is no growth where there is no effort — I heard that somewhere, and it’s true.

Collaborating with Peers

Alphabetizing business cards you received last year does NOT count as networking.

Just to see if you’re paying attention!

For home-based business owners, it can be difficult to actually leave the house. I get it! But it ALWAYS pays off. It is important to hunt down business meetup groups and like-minded individuals who can inspire you and lead to possible business collaborations.

Find classes and lectures about the things you are weak on: social media, marketing, blogging, public speaking, bookkeeping and organizing.

There is something for everyone out there.

Breaks and Lunches

Staring at the wall, contemplating what to make for dinner does NOT constitute a break; chowing down on the candy you hid from your kids is NOT a healthy lunch.

It’s important to remember to feed yourself healthy foods throughout the day. I’m sure you’re like me: when I am focused on work and in the zone, I tend to forget to eat and then snack on the quickest food I can find (which is usually cheese strings and chips).

Set a timer or alarm if necessary. Treat yourself to a trip to a deli or bakery once in a while. Take a break and grab a coffee with a friend or business associate. You would do this if you worked in an office, so you need to take the time for a time-out.

Get CONNECTED

Search Facebook and LinkedIn to find pages, groups and events with a similar business focus and introduce yourself and your company.

And of course LinkedIn groups and Facebook groups are great ways to network online and connect with people in your area. FB Live Video seminars contain valuable information and give you an opportunity to interact in real time (just follow your favourite peeps and be on alert for those streaming vids)…or contact me on FB or LinkedIn and we can count it as a business meeting!

As a work-at-home freelance writer and editor, I find I forget to treat myself as an employee. I ignore my basic rights to a break, a hot lunch and conversations with other human beings. I neglect to schedule time to learn new things and grow my network, and I ignore my own company’s marketing.

I used to find it very hard to get up the courage to seek out others with similar goals and interests. It took quite a while to gather a group of supportive associates who I can share the work with and celebrate the successes. I had to force myself to get out of the yoga pants and actually attend groups and meetings with other business owners and find events that were of benefit to me and my business. It takes time…no doubt about it. But you have to do it. There is no growth where there is no effort — I heard that somewhere, and it has become my mantra.

Collaborating with Peers

Reorganizing a pile of stuffed animals can NOT be classed a business meeting; and alphabetizing the business cards you received last year does NOT count as networking.

For home-based businesses, it can be difficult to actually leave the house. I get it! I have to actually make a huge effort — but it ALWAYS pays off. It is important to hunt down business meetup groups and like-minded individuals who can inspire you and lead to possible business collaborations. Find classes and lectures about the things you are weak on: social media, marketing, blogging, public speaking, bookkeeping and organizing.

There is something for everyone out there.

Breaks and Lunches

Staring at the wall, contemplating what to make for dinner does NOT constitute a break; chowing down on the candy you hid from your kids is NOT a healthy lunch. It is important to remember to feed yourself healthy foods throughout the day. I’m sure you’re like me: when there is no one peeking at what I am eating, I tend to forget to eat and then snack on the quickest food I can find (which is usually cheese strings and chips). Treat yourself to a trip to a deli or bakery once in a while. Take a break and grab a coffee with a friend or business associate. You would do this if you worked in an office, so you need to take that time for a time-out.

Search Facebook and LinkedIn to find groups with similar business interests and promote your company.